WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) the second ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee and a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform issued the following statement in reaction to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s speech to the liberal think tank Third Way:

“The Majority Leader’s comment that ‘It isn’t possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget until we’ve considered the bipartisan commission’s deficit-reduction plan, which is expected in December’ is extremely disappointing.”

“The Democrats refuse to bring a budget to the Floor because they want no limit on what they can spend, not even a speed bump on the way to national bankruptcy.”

“When the President announced his plan for a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform during his State of the Union speech I said, ‘It largely looks like a proposal designed give political cover to the President and Congressional Democrats who are trying to heal self-inflicted wounds arising from their fiscal record,’ Majority Leader Hoyer’s comments would appear to confirm my intuition.”

“When I accepted the appointment to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform I said I had high hopes and low expectations for the Commission; Majority Leader Hoyer’s comments have lowered both my hopes and my expectations.”